She shall rise
by Illiterate Cookie
Summary: "Tan.." Valkyrie whispered The tears brimmed at her eyes, blurring her vision, her knees felt weak and her heart was aching. "Now, back to what I came here to do."she said, with a cocky smirk and sneer. And with that, she lunged at Valkyrie.
1. What I came here to do

**Hi, I'm new to fan fiction, well I say I'm new, I've been reading these for a couple of months now, but I'm new to writing, so I'm looking for constructive criticism and helpful feedback to help me improve the length and quality of my stories, whether you think my characters are getting, well, out of character, any ideas and suggestions, spelling mistakes and whatnot. So basically, if you haven't got anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. I'm also not sure how often I'll be updating, but I'll always try to make sure that I will update and I won't leave a story unfinished, because that just pisses me off, royally. But enough of me! You came to see a terrible story and a terrible story you shall get!**

Valkyrie look up just in time to see the boot smash into her face.

She grunted through gritted teeth and felt the fresh blood trickle down her chin from her lip. She was now sprawled across the wet grass, the cold night breeze playing mischievously with her hair, almost purposely lashing it across her face to obscure her view. She felt the sudden movement in the air and rolled to her left milliseconds before the leather shoe stomped viciously where her chest had been previously. Swiftly, she brought herself up onto her knees and leaped onto two feet, staggering slightly from the wave of dizziness that hit her. Despite the pounding pain throbbing in her temple, she kept her footing and glanced up at her attacker.

"I knew playing nice wouldn't bring her out." the leather clad woman announced

Tanith Low stood before her, a smug black smile etched on her lips. Her blonde hair danced around her pretty face. A face Valkyrie once new so well. Her brown skin-tight leather clothes were worn but still fit her snugly despite the age, and her sharpened sword still sat in its black scabbard at her waist. Valkyrie didn't want to hurt Tanith, but it wasn't Tanith anymore, it was a remnant, but there was that thought in the back of head telling her that Tanith was still there, which is what led her to receive such a beating,

After a brief silence, Valkyrie spat blood and spoke.

"You won't get her out." she replied coldly.

"Ah, you see, that's where you're wrong."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, you see, I know she surfaces when your on the brink of death. I know you let her out. What do you think I've been doing the past few years. I've been watching Val. I saw what you did to that street with Lord Vile, I saw you take down the Jitter Girls, I witnessed you kill Kitana and the others and so much more. And let me tell you, the destruction, the power, the _death_, it was so delicious, and it's all I ever wanted from you."

"Don't…Don't call me Val." was all Valkyrie could bring herself to say, even so, it was in a hushed whisper.

"Why? Why not?"

"Only my friends call me that. You're not my friend, you're just a remnant. You're nothing."

"But I am your friend. I'm still me, you can trust me."

The veins on her pale face faded and the black on her lips retreated to a soft pink. A warm look flooded her eyes and Valkyrie felt a pang inside her. She wanted to scream, to tell Tanith to stop being silly and to come home, tell her we needed her, we missed her and to tell her everything she'd missed over the past 3 years. She couldn't hide the sudden look of sadness on her beaten and bloody face and she knew the remnant was basking in every minute of her pain and suffering.

"Tan.." Valkyrie whispered. The tears brimmed at her eyes, blurring her vision, her knees felt weak and her heart was aching. All she wanted was for this nightmare to end and for her best friend and big sister to come home. The innocent look on Tanith's face twisted into a look of evil as the black streaks resurfaced and the darkness filled her lips.

"Now, back to what I came her to do" she said, with a cocky smirk and sneer

And with that, she lunged at Valkyrie.

**What did ya think? Is it okay? Is it good? Is it bad? Please let me know! And I'll love you all forever. Unless you're like really old then that's just weird….Ughhh**


	2. Until we meet again

**I'd like to say thank you for all the positive feedback I've been receiving and so I wanted to get this next chapter up sooner rather than later. I think I should also mention that this is based around the middle of LSoDM. A certain person hasn't been…let say…removed but it's just after the point were Tanith rescues Dexter. **

Valkyrie tried to bring her arms up to her face but Tanith was already there smashing an elbow into her jaw. She stumbled and tried to create a spark in her fingers. Tanith battered her hand away and delivered a fast strike to Valkyrie's stomach. All the air rushed from her burning lungs. The pain sent her to her knees. Her hair stuck to the blood on her face. Gasping, she clutched her hands into a fist and sent a wave of shadows, but Tanith merely sidesteped away from the attack.

Valkyrie pushed at the air to propel her up to her feet then snapped her palm. A wave of air shimmered as it collided with Tanith, taking her of her feet. Valkyrie used this opportunity to click a spark and pour magic into it. But Tanith was fast, even faster with the remnant. Panicking, Valkyrie threw a ball of fire, not expecting it to hit, but it stuck Tanith in the middle of the chest. The flames enveloped her for a moment then faded. He clothes weren't even charred.

Tanith smirked.

Valkyrie threw another fireball at Tanith and sent a fist of shadows following, Tanith twirled gracefully out of the way of the fire but she shadows clipped her left arm. She hissed through gritted teeth and cradled her arm. Obviously, not liking the way this fight was going, bur she let her injured arm drop and clutched the hilt of her sword.

Drawing it out of the scabbard slowly with her right hand, she rolled her neck and Valkyrie heard it crack. Tanith admired he sword, the pristine shine, the silver shimmer…the sharp edge. Valkyrie knew she wouldn't last long with her now, Tanith knew that too.

Then Valkyrie remembered what the old Tanith had told her.

_Strike fast, first and without warning_

And that's what Valkyrie did.

She whipped a trail of shadows at Tanith's leg and she pulled. Tanith fell but quickly jumped back up and advanced suddenly. Valkyrie snapped her palm to push her back, preventing Tanith from getting close with her sword. Again, Tanith staggered and she looked displeased. She wasn't used to losing.

Tanith lunged once again, swiped her sword, it hit Valkyrie's arm but Ghastly's jacket deflected the blow. Valkyrie, despite this, hissed at the sudden strike, but changed tactic and jumped forward. Not giving Tanith the space she needed to manoeuvre the sword.

Valkyrie lashed out an elbow but Tanith grabbed it and twisted. Valkyrie screamed as the bone strained, she clicked her fingers, and pressed a flame into the side of Tanith's neck. Tanith released her hold. Gasping at the sudden burn which was apparent on her neck and face. She roared with anger and slashed her sword against Valkyrie's shoulder. The sword inflicted no serious damage but she didn't let it stop her attack. As Valkyrie launched a counter, she ducked and rammed the hilt of her sword into the side of Valkyrie's knee.

Valkyrie's leg buckled and she cursed under her breath as the pain shot through her leg. Trying her best to ignore the taunting voice in her mind, she jumped up, her head meeting Tanith's stomach. She wrapped her arms around her waist and pushed her over. Tanith was laid, her back on the damp grass, Valkyrie straddling her, pinning her down. Valkyrie began to rapidly fire fists and elbows into Tanith face. The adrenaline preventing her from feeling the exertion. Valkyrie wanted to feel the burning anger in her, and to be able to keep attacking like she would any other enemy. But this wasn't any other enemy.

This was Tanith.

She faltered. A stupid moment of weakness, nothing more, but that was all it took. She slowed her attack and looked down at Tanith battered face and her heart lurched. In that instance, Tanith pushed up with all her strength, knocking Valkyrie off her. Valkyrie rolled and jumped up, wiping the hair out her face and using her hand to gently touch the blood pouring from her nose and lip. She felt lucky, lucky that those were the only bloodied injuries she'd sustained. Tanith was up, right hand gripped on her sword, raised up against her face in a defensive manor. Valkyrie looked at her for a brief moment. She'd taken quite a beating herself all things considered, but Tanith was just as bad. For that, Valkyrie was grateful. She'd thought that Tanith was going to take her down in seconds.

_Maybe Tanith's still in there? Maybe you can SAVE her?_

No. Tanith could end this is she wanted to. She's just holding back. Tiring me out.

_You don't know that. Let me out and I'll rid her of that dreadful remnant. Just like I did with you._

No. Shut up

She broke from her thoughts to see Tanith mid jump, her foot in the air ready to strike her down . Valkyrie tried to move, but before she could flinch, the boot caught the side of her neck and she fell, landed on one knee and brought her hand up to her mouth as she started gagging and coughing.

You distracted me.

_I did no such thing. How dare you try to place your carelessness on me. Shameful._

I know what you're trying to do. Get me to slip, so she'll bring you out.

_Hmmm…Maybe I am. But I have to say. If that was my objective. I'm doing quite well so far._

What?

Valkyrie gasped as she felt the cold metal press against the back of her neck. Tanith had managed to get behind Valkyrie while she was wrapped deep in her thoughts.

"Are you going to let her out _now?_" Tanith asked. She was trying to sound bored of the fight.

"No." Valkyrie replied

"Why not? It's not like you have anything left to lose. Either you let her out willingly or I force her out. Same result, but one method involves more blood and much more screaming. I'll let you decide which."

"I'll keep her down if you try. And then, if you do kill me, Skulduggery will find you and he will kill you. And _that _method will have a lot of blood and screaming. I'll let you decide who's doing the screaming."

_Speaking of Skulduggery, where is he? He hasn't abandoned you yet, has he? It seems you need rescuing yet again. You've made it quite clear I'M not saving you._

Shut up, he'll be here soon. But I won't need saving. This will all be over by the time her gets here.

_Hmm…yes. How do you plan on ending this without dying?_

I haven't figured that part out yet

_1 could have guessed_

"Huh, I never did like your sarcastic little mouth. The old Tanith thought it was amusing. I just think it's highly annoying." Tanith said, disrupting her thoughts

"Sorry to disappoint." Valkyrie replied bluntly

After a moment of silence Tanith sighed. She'd let her guard down for that single second. A second that Valkyrie could have took advantage of that but didn't. She daren't move, in case Tanith didn't take kindly to it.

"You're not going to let her out are you?" Tanith asked.

"No. Did you really expect me to let her out?" Valkyrie said

Tanith pressed the metal hard against the back of her neck. It was cold. It wanted to make Valkyrie shiver, but she didn't. She couldn't. She suddenly realised how fast her heart was beating. Threatening to explode from her ribs. She felt sweat on her face, the blood on her lips, and then she closed her eyes. Waiting for the swift blow to arrive at it's awaited destination.

The time arrived

The metal was gone from her neck and she felt she air shift as Tanith brought she sword down on her back off her neck. Time seemed to stop for Valkyrie and before she could register what happened, there a was a blur and a scream. The metal wasn't pressed against her neck anymore. She swallowed and looked up.

Billy-Ray Sanguine had saved her life.

Tanith looked shocked, wide eyed and speechless. She quickly found her tongue and her face became angry. She raised her sword and aimed it at Sanguine.

"_What did you do?!"_ she yelled, and anger in her voice Valkyrie had never heard before

"Savin' the world." he whispered sarcastically. "Now, why don't you put down the sword, and we can sort this out." he said in a hushed tone. His eyes widened at the sight of her bruised and burned face but it changed as quickly as it came.

Tanith growled, but lowered the sword, the ferocity never leaving her eyes. She glared at Valkyrie but backed off after a few seconds. Sanguine looked stressed, Valkyrie could see that he'd had that cut fixed up. He wasn't hunched over, or in pain. That meant her hand his magic back. That meant he was a threat.

She got up, and readied herself for an attack, but Billy-Ray spoke

"That won't be necessary, darlin'. I just saved your life. I think you owe me."

"Why? Why save me?" Valkyrie asked through gritted teeth. She didn't like that Billy-Ray had just saved her.

"Because I remember what I promised you. You see, me and lil' Valkyrie here," he turned to Tanith "a few years back, we had a little fight. Before my daddy was put back in shackles. Dusk told me that keepin' her alive, is much more satisfying that killing her. So I let her go." he replied with a smirk.

Tanith raised an eyebrow. A large smile played across her lips.

"I see. I that case, our little meeting will have to be at another time. Though, I'm certain there'll be _another_ guest arriving."

"I wouldn't bet on it." Valkyrie spat.

And with that, the ground open up, and they disappeared into the black hole beneath them. Valkyrie cursed herself and changed her posture, her knees weakened, her shoulders sagged and her eyes closed. She breathed in deeply, held it, then let it out. Stood for a moment and turned, and went it search for that goddamned skeleton.

**Okay, I'm not really happy with this chapter. (The only good bit is that it is a little longer that the first chapter) I think it jumped around a little bit, especially when I wrote Val's thoughts with Darquesse. I've also never wrote a fight scene before and I don't know how well it flows, but I guess I wanted to know your opinions on it. I tried to proof read as best I could but I've probably missed stuff out. But anyway, please let me know what you think, even if it was a load of poop. Where I could improve, mistakes etc. Thank you again!**


	3. We'll find her

**Hello again peeps! Here I am with another chapter. This one is a lot longer. (3000+ words! Whaaat?) Anyway, I'm not sure what I feel about this chapter, mainly because we don't see much these kind of situations in the books, so I'm not sure if I kept everyone in character. But let me know either way. Thank you.**

"Are you sure you're okay?" Skulduggery asked, the concern evident in his velvet voice. He looked at her for a moment before putting his concentration back on the road.

"Yeah. I'm fine." Valkyrie snapped. She did even look at him, she just scowled, narrowed her eyes and stared out the window

He sighed. "I really don't think you are. Tell me what happened."

Valkyrie shrugged her shoulders. She didn't want to talk about Tanith or Sanguine or Darquesse. All she wanted to do was go home, get a shower, eat then sleep. It seemed she would be doing none of those things.

"You're going to have to tell me what happened if we're going to catch Tanith. We need to know her intentions." Skulduggery continued.

Valkyrie sighed and clenched her fists, angry that he wouldn't let it go.

"Do you _really_ want to know? Even though _I_ don't want to think about it, you still want me to relive that fight again. Is going through it once not enough for you? Do you want me to remember that my own friend attacked me? Tried to kill me? Then! I have to realise I owe my life to a murderer and an enemy!" she retorted, her voice loud and laced with venom. She took a deep breath at the sudden outburst.

"Sorry, Valkyrie." he said quietly, his voice barely audible over the purr of the engine.

She felt guilty. The moment he spoke, a wave of guilt slammed into her. She wanted to cry. To just break down, let it all out. All those feelings, all the regrets and the distant memories. For the second time that day, the tears rose in her eyes. She was usually good at hiding her emotions, and she could breathe out all the conflicting feelings that settled in the pit of her stomach. Something caught in her throat, but Valkyrie turned to face him.

"Oh god, _I'm_ sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have said that…" her voice was softer but it cracked slightly so slowed her sentence to a stop.

"It's okay." he said softly

For the rest of the journey back, they sat in silence. The sun was fading behind the horizon, bleeding a variety of bright colours into the sky. Valkyrie kept thinking about Tanith, all their memories and the times they'd been together. Tanith would turn into an instant 4 year-old when she was with Valkyrie. Like she opened up a childish side she only let Valkyrie see. She sighed at the memories. It didn't make her feel better.

They pulled up outside Gordon's and Skulduggery put his hand on her shoulder. Valkyrie could feel her lip tremble, so she bit her cheek to stop her from crying. His bony hand squeezed her shoulder slightly in a reassuring manner. She smiled a faint smile and nodded to him.

"How about, we go in, sit down, I make you some tea and we talk? Does that sound okay to you?" he asked calmly.

Again, Valkyrie nodded to him, shifted to her left and opened the car door. The early night breeze circled her, stealing her face and fingers of her warmth. She closed the door to the Bentley and walked through the iron gates to the mansion. Once inside, Valkyrie ripped off her coat and threw it onto the floor. She could feel a bruise forming on her arm from when Tanith had struck her. The anger bubbled up inside her and she stalked into the living room.

She fell onto the sofa and buried her head deep in the pillow and screamed. She screamed until her lungs burned. The angered screaming turned into crying and the crying turned into uncontrollable sobs. She clenched her fists and pounded the seat, letting out some of her frustration. Valkyrie began shaking, so she curled into a ball. Her breaths were short staggered gasps. she could hardly breath. She kept biting her tongue, lips and cheeks, to try and calm the crying, but all it resulted in was flows of blood. At the taste, she gagged and rolled from sofa to the floor in a sudden movement. Coughing, she pushed herself up onto her arms and legs. They were threatening to crumble under weight. She dragged herself up and rested her head on her knees.

Her sobs echoed through the house, disturbing the common quiet. Skulduggery was by her side in seconds, rubbing slow circles into her back. He kept on whispering to her, to reassure her.

"Shh…It's okay, don't worry. We'll get you cleaned up. Okay? Valkyrie, you need to control your breathing. Control your breathing. That's it. Well done."

"I'm…I'm so sorry." she whispered between sobs. "It's all…all my fault."

"No. No it's not Valkyrie. You did nothing at all wrong." he soothed

"It is. If I wasn't… _her_… the re- remnants would have never had a, a reason to do anything like that. They wouldn't have had a plan"

_Oh now that's a little harsh. You're me! So it really is your fault if you think about it. And Tanith got the remnant inside her trying to SAVE YOU. _

_SHUT UP_ Valkyrie screamed in her head. She squeezed her eyes shut and banished the unwelcome taunts from her mind.

Gordon appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He looked shocked and upset at the state of his niece. He opened his mouth to question the situation but Skulduggery simply turned to face him and shook his head, his skull tilted down. Gordon immediately nodded like he understood and shuffled off to his study upstairs.

After 10 minutes, she was finally sat on the sofa in Skulduggery's arms. She'd cleaned her face and changed into her Dublin Jersey and some black leggings. He'd made her a cup of tea. Sweet and milky, just the way she loved it. For two minutes she was calm, and she drank her tea, but she burst into tears again and continued to cry on the sofa. Skulduggery scooped her up and placed her on his knees. She curled into him, crying into his chest. He just sat, didn't say a word and brushed his skeletal hand through her hair. She was asleep soon after.

He hated it when she didn't let her emotions show. She kept it bottled up, and that pained him. He felt like she would crack one day. And that's when Darquesse would take over. It was okay for him to worry about her, he was her mentor, partner and her best friend, right? But now, when she was releasing a torrent of raw emotion towards him, he hadn't the slightest idea how to help her. And he really wanted her to help her.

Valkyrie had softened him up. Ghastly had joked about it before, how she'd changed him for the better, but now he felt it. A warm feeling. He couldn't help the feeling. They'd been through thick and thin together. When you've been through so much together, sacrificed so much together and survived so much together, bonds like those form. Whether they liked it or not.

He looked down and Valkyrie. The tears stained the pale skin on her cheeks, and her dark brown hair was greasy and dirty. Her eyelashes were still wet, her eyes still red and sore. To anyone else, she would have looked like a mess, but to him, she was still just as pretty.

Again, he sat up and stood, she was still curled in his embrace. He made sure one arm was under her legs, another on her back, supporting her head. She stirred and clutched his shirt mumbling to herself. He walked up stairs, peeked into Gordon's study and gave him a nod. He walked into the master bedroom and gently placed Valkyrie on her bed and tucked her in.

When he'd finished, he got up from the bed and looked at her. If he had a face, he would defiantly be smiling. For once that day, she looked peaceful.

"Goodnight, Valkyrie." he smiled

Her eyes fluttered open and started at him. "Stay?" Valkyrie asked.

"I can't. Sorry Valkyrie," he protested.

"Please?"

"I…" he sighed, despite having no lungs. "Okay, give me 5 minutes."

She smiled and nodded.

He left the room and headed to Gordon's study. He deserved an explanation.

"It was Tanith." he began. "She came, found Valkyrie and attacked her,"

"It shook her up quite a lot, but she's okay now." he said. He took off his jacket and folded in onto his arm.

Gordon turned. A weak smile played on his ghostly features.

"Oh, thank god." he whispered

"She's laid in bed. Sleeping hopefully."

"Good, Good. Thank you. By the way."

"For what?"

"Looking after her. For all these years, I doubt she would still be alive if it wasn't for you."

"I don't think you should be thanking me." his voice lowering slightly.

"Nonsense. You've saved her life countless times."

"You're forgetting that I'm the one that got her in those situations."

Gordon's face went slack.

"That's besides the point." he mumbled.

"And she's saved my life plenty of times too. But I'd never let anyone hurt Valkyrie, you know that."

"Yes. Okay. I see."

"Good. Glad we got it sorted out."

"….."

"Gordon?"

"Hmm, yes?"

"What are you thinking?"

"Oh I'm not thinking. I'm amazed. Astounded in fact."

"Of what?"

"I think the Great Skelton Detective has gone soft."

He stayed silent for a moment. "Don't say that. I've got a reputation to uphold."

"It's true." Gordon smirked.

"Oh no. It's really not. But I'm still great, okay?."

"You really have gone soft. When I first heard stories about you, everyone was scared. You were the Skelton Detective that everyone feared. Now you're like a big Skeleton teddy bear. _Valkyrie's_ skeleton teddy bear." Gordon sounded amused at this idea.

"Don't tell Valkyrie that. I'd never hear the end off it."

"Oh, It's fine, I won't tell her. Well, I'll leave you to it. You might want to sort stuff out for tomorrow. She might be a little grumpy."

Skulduggery nodded, turned on the spot and left the study.

"I'm not a teddy bear." he called back as he left.

And with that, he returned to the master bedroom. Valkyrie was sat up in bed. Her hair was still a mess, but her eyes were wider, with an amused glint.

"It's true." she smirked "You're my big skeleton teddy bear."

"Oh god. Not you too."

"Don't deny it you big ol' softy."

"Valkyrie. You're hurting my ego. Please stop." he replied as he placed his jacket on a nearby chair.

"No. It amuses me to see you this uncomfortable."

He paused for a moment before cocking his head.

"Do you remember that time I convinced you there was a whole colony of 8 legged octopus people?"

"You can't keep using that against me. I was 12."

"Or when you fainted in the living room when you first met me?"

"Shut up." she growled

"I could go on you know."

"But you won't. If you know what's good for you."

"Is that a threat?"

"Yes."

Valkyrie jumped from the bed and pushed at the air, making Skulduggery's hat fall from his skull. He would have looked somewhat startled from the attack but by the time he realised what happened, Valkyrie had passed him, hat in hand, sprinting down the stairs. She stopped, looked at him through the banister, a huge smirk on her face. He cocked his head to the other side, making her erupt with laughter.

He walked to the top of the stairs to see her stumble on the last step. She regained her footing and carried on running, leaving laughter behind her. He walked down the stairs gracefully, determined he wasn't going to let her get the better of him.

He reached the bottom and the spontaneous giggles had gone. It was silent but he couldn't read the currents to find her. She was manipulating the air, to make sure he couldn't find her. He'd taught Valkyrie how to do that. Now she was using it against him.

He checked the living room. Nothing.

He checked the dinning room. Nothing.

He checked the kitchen. _Bingo._

She was stood, one hand on her hip, the other holding his hat, his _favourite _hat. A large smile grew on her face.

"Was it just me, or did Valkyrie Cain just stumble on some stairs?" he said

Valkyrie's smile dropped for a moment but then she caught it and brought it back to her face. She shifted back a couple of steps and raised the hat over a bin.

"Don't you dare." Skulduggery warned.

"Or what? "Valkyrie smirked. "Did you like my trick by the way? I almost got bored waiting for you."

"No I didn't like it, because I taught it you. You used my own trick against me. And if you do drop the hat. I'll make you regret it."

"Do you remember when I first took your hat hostage?"

"Yes. You threatened to stamp on it."

"If it wasn't for that hat. I probably wouldn't be here."

"Wouldn't I be glad." he mumbled to himself

"You don't mean that."

"Don't I?"

"No, you don't."

"Shall we see about that?" he replied smugly.

He leap forwards and sprinted towards Valkyrie. She squealed and dropped the hat on the floor. She tried to run but he knocked her to the floor too. He cushioned her fall with the air, but she rolled a few times. She finished on her back, but she couldn't get up. Skulduggery had his hand up, using the air to trap her into place. He walked towards her.

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Getting my hat." he replied. He picked it up with his other hand and placed it on his head. "Now, I told you, that you would regret it." he said, a smile in his voice.

"What does that mean?" She narrowed her eyes.

"You'll see."

He walked forward and knelt beside her. He took one bony finger and planted it in her side. She screamed and then shot him a glare. He replied with an amused grunt, and poked her again. She squirmed in her restraints and yelled for him to stop. He ignored her pleas and continues to jab at her sides, belly and neck. She tried to lash out, but only her knees moved. She giggled and screamed until tears came into her eyes. Her stomach hurt from laughing and her breathing was panicked from the sudden attack.

"St-Stop!" she yelled "Stop it! Ple-Please!" she gasped between breaths

"You give in?" he said

"Yes, yes just stop!" she panted

"Apologise." he demanded

"What? No!"

"Fine, back to tickling."

"No! I'm sorry! Don't poke me!"

"That sounded ridiculous."

"I know. Now let me up." she demanded

"As you wish."

The pressure on her wrists and ankles was released. She looked at him, a questioning look in her brown eyes, before cautiously getting to her feet. She took a step back and glared at him, arms wrapped around her stomach in case he tried anything. He just stood there, staring at her with his non-existent eyes. They stayed like that for a few seconds before a smile broke across Valkyrie's face. She erased it from her lips when he didn't move.

"I hate you, you know that?" she scowled.

"Nonsense. You love me. Anyway, I'm too amazing to hate."

"God, you're so full of yourself, aren't you?"

"Hmm…It does appear that way."

"You're such a goon." she smiled.

"You keep telling me." he sighed.

"And I still hate you."

"Well, now I know you're back to your usual self. Insulting me and all. And I also know that you're just jealous of my superiority. Which is why you feel the need to insult me. You just want to bring me down."

"Ha. You wish." she scoffed.

"I don't need to wish, dear Valkyrie."

"Don't say _dear Valkyrie_. That's what China says."

He paused for a moment, and lowered his head slightly.

"Now that," he said " hurt."

"Good. Now, out of my way. I'm hungry."

"Maybe that's why you're getting a little lazy in training. You're always eating."

"Are you trying to say that I'm _fat?" _she asked accusingly.

"No, not at all." he said defensively, raising his hands.

"That's what I thought. Now move…please."

"As you wish."

He stepped to the side and let her pass. She went straight for the fridge and pulled out the milk. She left the milk on the counter to get the cereal, so he went and got her a ceramic bowl from the cupboard. He placed it next to the milk as she returned.

"Thanks." she said.

"You're feeling better then?"

"Yes. Thank you."

"We'll get her you know."

"Tanith? Yeah…I suppose. I mean. I hope so."

"We'll get her. Not because she wants to get Darquesse out of you. But because she's your friend."

_How sweet._

"So tomorrow. We'll go see Ghastly. And you'll explain to him what happened. If you want to. And we'll work from there."

Valkyrie hesitated for a moment. "She said she could get the remnant out of Tanith."

"Who did?"

"Darquesse did. When we were fighting." she sighed

"She's probably lying."

"She got the remnant out of me. The first time she came out. There was one inside me. She killed it. Maybe she could do the same again."

"It's not worth the risk. We'll find another way."

"What if _she_ is the only way?"

"It's not worth it okay? Now hurry up so you can get to bed. We've got a big day of talking, explaining and detective work tomorrow."

"Isn't my life beyond glamorous." she mumbled.

"Of course. Now, eat."

Valkyrie didn't argue, she scowled. She poured the milk and cereal into a bowl, sat on a nearby stool and ate.

**Okay, this chapter was mainly to show the relationship between the characters. I tried to keep them in character, but I'm not sure how well I did, especially considering we see very little of Valkyrie's emotional side. I'm not sure how interesting it was, or how interesting the next few chapters will be, but I'll try to pick up the pace soon. As always, feel free to leave constructive feedback, to help me. As well as any ideas you may have. Inspiration is always nice. Thank you for reading. Have a nice day! :3**


	4. Little bit of bloodshed

**Hello again! It's been a while since I posted because my laptop is being weird and I've been working on another story. Also, thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate feedback. It makes me feel happy! Anyway, this is going to be Tanith's chapter! It didn't really take long to do this, so I'm not sure how well it does on quality, but still I hope you enjoy it.**

_A set of flats, sat in the middle of a scruffy street, on the outskirts of Haggard. She couldn't quite believe she__'__d let him choose there accommodation while they, or rather, _she, _waited for the right moment to strike. The flat they lived in was just as bad as the streets that surrounded it. No inspiration, no sanitation, no__…__well__…__nothing really. Just a lot of broken bottles._

_There were three rooms. A bathroom, a bedroom, a kitchen. Each as boring. The bathroom held a toilet that wasn__'__t really sanitary and a walk-in shower, which had a habit of housing spiders. The walls were a musty white with brown marks at the bottom of wallpaper. So, Tanith tried to avoid the bathroom at all times. Unless it was necessary._

_The bedroom, fared slightly better. These walls were a slight cream, with a few white flowers that swirled in a distasteful pattern. The double bed was, comfortable at most. And there was enough space for a large wardrobe to store their clothes. But that was it. At least it didn't have any spiders._

_Finally, the kitchen. It had an oven, a sink, a fridge and one cupboard. The whole place was dirty, with piled plates and pizza boxes. There were stains of some kind that spilled over the sides of the oven and a stale smell that never left. They had the occasional mouse that would try to make it__'__s home, but a swift swipe of the sword took care of that problem. Still, at least it didn__'__t have any spiders._

_She thought about her old apartment in London. The one she used to call home. She compared it to this place. Then imaged how Valkyrie would react to their living conditions, or Ghastly. A smile came to her lips when she thought of China. China would have died if she was forced to live in _this _place._

_Hopefully. _

"_So, why were ya tryin' to kill the lil' darlin'? I thought ya wanted to keep her safe. Even if ya do have a…remnant in ya." Sanguine asked. He just couldn't keep his nose out of her business. She looked up from her book. She wasn't reading it. She just hoped it would hint to Billy-Ray that she didn't want to be spoken to._

_He was sat on the bed with his razor, probably admiring his reflection, while she was stood, leaned up against a wall at the opposite side of the room. _

"_Oh. I have my reasons. You don't need to know why though. Yet." she replied. She gave a sly wink and then focused her gaze back to the book. She didn't even know what it was about anymore. _

"_Well I think I should know. Considering me an' you is getting' married. Ya know, trusting each other an' all?" he said. If he had eyes, they'd be narrowed. And they'd be glaring at her. _

"_You're just impatient. Wait honey, you'll see. I'm sure you'll love, love, love my little plan. Almost as much as you love me." she said in a mocking tone. _

"_Now, now. Ya don't need to get all aggressive towards me. I was just askin' a simple question, and hopin' for a simple answer."_

"_Well, you'll get you're simple answer soon. Let me read."_

"_You're not even reading' that damn think are ya? I've been watchin' you for the past minute. You're eyes have been fixed in the same place. You ain't even turned the page. What? Do ya think I'm stupid or somethin'?"_

_She looked up from her book again. Her eyebrow was raised, her lips hinting at a smirk. "Do you really, really want me to answer that for you? Honestly?" _

_He pursed his lips like he always did when she insulted him. It wasn't an attractive look for him. But she let it pass. He had his uses. She heard him mumble under his breath before he got up from the bed and walked to the door. _

"_I'm going to get something to eat." he grumbled._

"_Get me a salad please?" she asked. She gave him her cutest smile and tilted her head to the side. When he ignored her and began to walk away, she got up, walked behind him and grabbed his arm gently with her free hand. _

"_Please? I'm sorry if I hurt you're feelings or anything. I've just been feeling off these past few days. I think I'm coming down with something." she said apologetically. She stuck out her bottom lip slightly, and made her eyes bigger. _

"_Huh, I'll see." he said. He walked from her grip and got his coat from the door to the apartment._

"_Thank you honey-bunny." she whispered seductively. _

_He looked back at her, a small smirk on his lips. "You'll have to prove how grateful you are when I get back." he replied._

"_Huh, I'll see." she mimicked. He turned back and open the door before walking out. He didn't use his magic for small journeys. Too risky. Especially when they were so near Valkyrie's home. _

_The door closed and she sighed heavily. The smile left her face and her body sagged. He could get annoying when he wanted to be. She was lying though. She wasn't feeling ill or anything. But he was wrapped around her finger. And there was nothing he could do about it. Not anymore. Even so, he couldn't make her happy. The only thing that could make her happy was Darquesse. She'd been sad and unhappy for too long. The time was nearing. The time when Darquesse would rise. Then, and only then would herself and her brothers and sisters truly be free. When destruction and all it's beauty is brought upon this imperfect world._

_She just didn't know how exactly to bring about this new world of chaos._

_She had a few scenarios planned out. Some of them she didn't like. Some of them were almost perfect. She didn't know which ones she were going to be used so she made sure she kept them all available. She sat down on the bed and wrapped herself deep in her thoughts. _

_1. Kill Valkyrie._

_Of course this has it's disadvantages. She won't go down easily. Not anymore. She'd be with someone all the time in case Tanith came back. She might fight to keep Darquesse down. But, she doubted Valkyrie was that strong. But, they might even kill Tanith before she gets a chance on her assassination. They might find her, or they might capture her. Or something else that would end badly. So all in all, that option would be effective, if it worked, but dangerous if she failed. _

_She thought about her previous fight with Valkyrie. Valkyrie tended to use magic to keep her away. So if she got in close and personal again, she could get her. Tanith's mind flicked to the wounds she acquired since last time and her hand instinctively went to the side of her face with a burn. She hissed in pain as she came into contact with the charred flesh. She had to use mortal methods of healing. If she went to sanctuary she'd be killed. If she went to any other mages or sorcerers she'd be recognised and shackled. _

_Instead she had to use creams that did the job slowly. She had her own methods to make sure it didn't leave any scars but it was going to be painful. She was going to have to put up with a burned face for a while. Now she knew how Scapegrace felt when Valkyrie burned half of his face. _

_2. Kill Valkyrie's Parents_

_This would be easy. They wouldn't know what hit them, and the baby, Alice, she could be kept alive. Wouldn't want to push Val too hard. She'd be so angry, she'd turn and destroy the world. How fun. And even Tanith would get some of the fun and the bloodshed. There was still the question in her head though. Would she change or would she come after Tanith with everything and kill her? She'd probably kill her. Worth the risk. Maybe. Then there was the reflection. This should be easy enough. Take her out first. No warning for her, just snap her neck or something. Simple._

_ Darquesse rise naturally._

_Tanith knew that Valkyrie let her out, either with intention or subconsciously, when she was in danger. And from previous memories, she knew that Valkyrie and danger had a habit of getting together. It may take a while and it may be while Tanith isn't there to witness it, but it was also safe. Tanith didn't need to get all up close and personal with her and risk her life. If she did risk her life then she might miss the destruction of the world, and then she wouldn't be able to free her siblings from that dark room. She shuddered at the memory. _

_There was also a disadvantage. If she was to rise of her own accord, then the Skeleton would probably be nearby. He usually gets her into all sorts of trouble. And if he is around, then he might be able to subdue her. Tanith would need to keep him occupied while Darquesse stretches her legs. But then she might get killed herself. Hmmm…..decisions, decisions._

_Then there was another option. Tanith didn't like it. In fact, it was the worst possible option. It involved her possibly missing out on the end of the world, but it was sure to work. Hopefully. _

_ Valkyrie g-_

"_Honey, it's time to prove how sorry ya are." Billy-ray called from outside the apartment door. _

_Tanith broke from her thoughts and instantly felt the need to punch, or kill someone. She heard him open a door and heard the rustling of a carrier bag. Her head shot up, and she began to scan the room for a escape. The window. Perfect. Quietly, she picked up her sword and crept towards the window. It was a horrid sight. Mould growing at the edges and condensation dripped at the bottom of the glass. Tanith cringed as she held the handle and opened the window. She looked at the drop. They were only 2 floors up. She could make it. _

_Her boots her perched on the window sill as she heard Sanguine approach the door. She didn't have time to rethink this so she jumped. The air rushed though her ears and caught in her hair as she braced for impact on the harsh pavement. She hit the ground hard and rolled. Her knees crunched as she propped herself up. She still had her scabbard that was latched to her side. Tanith glanced up at the window and saw Billy-ray poke his head out of the window. She turned and bolted down the street, ignoring the confused looks and disapproving stares. _

"_Hey, where are you going!?" she heard him shout. _

_She didn't look back, she just kept on running. She knew where she was going anyway. Tanith was going to like it, and her hunger for murder was going to be fulfilled_

_Tanith was sat in the tree, looking through the kitchen window at the family. It was a nice happy family, a mother, father and little girl. No more than 18 months old. The father had the baby on his face while he ran around. A smile was brought to her lips. What a perfect little family. _

_She heard the mother shout, as he put the little girl back on the floor. He left the kitchen and the child followed. While she was looking at the mother, she noticed a clock above her head. 3:00. Almost time. She was going to have herself some fun. The mother was peeling potatoes in the sink, getting ready for tea. Suddenly, her head tuned back and she smiled. _

"_Hey honey, how was your day at school?" Tanith heard._

"_It was fine. Nothing ever happens there." was the reply. _

_After a brief silence the woman spoke again. _

"_Get off my child! I don't want you throwing her around the room!"_

_There was a muffled reply that Tanith could hear. The mother sighed,_

"_Stephanie, you're in charge of teaching Alice how to throw a ball."_

_Tanith smiled. It was time. Time to have a little fun and a little bloodshed. She was going to enjoy it. _

**What did ya think? Please R&R and give me any tips on how to improve or any mistakes. Either inconsistencies or spellings or whatever. Thank you for reading! **


	5. But I'm not dead

**Hello again, may I welcome you to the 5****th**** chapter! Thank you to everyone who reviewed, I really appreciate it. I hope you are all well and happy. Getting closer to Christmas and all!**

The doors to Ghastly office were pushed open as Valkyrie poked her head through. Ghastly looked up from his paper work and greeted her cheesy grin with a smile of his own. Her smiled grew and she had a mischievous glint in her eye. He hadn't expected a visit from them. It was unusual for them to turn up unexpected without someone fussing.

"May we be blessed with your presence, Your Holy Highness?" she asked suddenly.

His smiled faded and he sighed. He brought one hand up to his face, and with his other waved it lazily in the air.

"No. Go away. I've got the Supreme Council breathing down my neck, and I don't need to be teased by you. Where's Skulduggery anyway?"

Her head disappeared for a moment before appearing again. "He's outside trying not to laugh. Do you want to know why we're here?"

"Oh, I suspected no less." he mumbled, "And no, I don't."

"Well too bad, we're coming in to tell you anyway." her smile dimmed. "It's…it's about Tanith."

Ghastly's hand slowly lowered from his scarred face, his eyes widening as he realised Valkyrie was serious. Skulduggery pushed the door open fully as they both walked into the room. Valkyrie took the seat in front of his desk, while Skulduggery stood against the wall next to the door. After a moment of silence Ghastly spoke.

"So, what about Tanith?" he questioned, cautious as to where this would lead.

"She…she attacked…" Valkyrie faltered, her head drooping down.

"She attacked Valkyrie." Skulduggery announced, finishing Valkyrie sentence.

Ghastly opened his mouth as to ask a question, but shut it. He inhaled deeply and looked back down at his paperwork. He felt an anger bubble up inside him, it was a regular feeling. It only appeared when he found out Tanith had done something terrible. But no matter how many times he felt this way, the pain never dulled.

He found his voice and searched for a sensible question to ask.

"Why?" It wasn't really a good question but he was slightly taken back by the lack of emotion his voice held.

Valkyrie and Skulduggery took a quick glance at each other, and Skulduggery very slightly shook his head. Valkyrie turned back to face him. Whatever they had signalled made Valkyrie look a little more relieved.

"We're not sure. We think it has something to do with…us…being a threat to…Darquesse." Skulduggery answered. "She didn't give any hints or clues except that she said their "little meeting" would have to be at another time."

"And you were there?"

"No," Valkyrie said, "but Billy-Ray was. And he…" her shoulders sagged and her voice was barley above a whisper, "He saved my life…"

Ghastly's eyes widened and he saw Skulduggery tense up.

"You didn't tell me that." Skulduggery growled in a low tone.

Valkyrie sighed, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I know I just said that I owed my life to the enemy. But, I didn't want to…you know, acknowledge it. I don't like to think that if it wasn't for him, I'd be dead. Or worse."

Ghastly suddenly felt sorry Valkyrie. He knew Valkyrie didn't like it when people felt sorry for her, but he knew what it was like to owe your life to someone you despise. Valkyrie and Sanguine have a lot of bad blood between them, so the thought of him saving her was almost unreal. He couldn't imagine how he'd feel if Sanguine had saved _his _life. Mainly because he didn't want to think about it.

"Sorry for not telling you Skulduggery."

"It's alright. I understand." he said, in a caring tone. It was scary how quickly his voice changed, "You were embarrassed about it. That's all."

Valkyrie's head snapped up at the comment and she glared. Ghastly couldn't help but smile at the childish behaviour. Their little arguments and sarcastic comments made his day. He thought it was because it reminded him of his time with the Dead Men. Dexter and Saracen always bickering about something.

"No I wasn't." she said defensively.

"Yes, you were. It's okay to feel embarrassed." he turned to face Ghastly. "You should have seen her after the situation. Yesterday, at Gordon's, Ghastly. She almost fell down the stairs. Now _that _is something to be embarrassed about."

Ghastly smile widened and he was going to make a comment when something flicked in his head.

"Yesterday? You mean you didn't come to me with this when it happened? You waited?" his voice was angry but still at a normal volume.

"Erm…yes, I mean, I didn't think it was that impor-" Skulduggery stammered.

"It was my fault Ghastly. I was pretty upset as you can imagine. But if I had known that you would have wanted us to report it to you straight away, we would have. I didn't really want to do anything, and I was tired an…did you hear that?" Valkyrie trailed off

"Hear wha-"

"Shh" Valkyrie said, again interrupting Skulduggery.

"Have you seen Valkyrie?" Tipstaff asked from down the hall. His voice was muffled but he sounded panicked.

Valkyrie frowned. Why would Tipstaff need her? She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at Ghastly. He just shrugged, as though he didn't know why she was needed. She glanced over to Skulduggery, who cocked his head to the side. The sounds of his footsteps echoed down the corridor. Valkyrie walked out of the office, and called Tipstaff.

When he spotted her, he froze, his eyes were wide, as though he was scared, like a rabbit caught in the headlights of a car. After a moment of silence he slowly began to walk towards her. Valkyrie narrowed her eyes and tilted her head to give a questioning look. When he was in front of her, she noticed how he couldn't keep eye contact with her. She could hear his heavy breaths and she instantly knew something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Tipstaff?" she said, softly, "What's the matter? Why do you want me?"

"Um…It's just…that…um…"

"Tipstaff. What is it?" she repeated in a lower tone.

"It's…It's your parents." he announced.

Valkyrie suddenly felt a burning inside her. If anyone had hurt them…

"What? What happened?" she asked slowly in a threatening tone.

When Tipstaff didn't reply, Valkyrie stepped up close to him. They were around the same height, but Valkyrie towered over him. He took a few steps back and swallowed.

"Tipstaff…" she growled.

"They were attacked by a sorcerer!" he blurted.

Valkyrie froze for a moment. The words flew around in her mind, eager to be caught and processed. But she only processed one word.

Attacked.

In a torrent of anger, she grabbed his collar and slammed him up against the wall opposite Ghastly's office. At first he squealed in surprise, but then he cried out in pain was his head struck the wall.

"What happened?" she hissed.

"I-I don't know! Ch-China called, and, and she said that, the perimeter around Haggard had been breached."

Skulduggery and Ghastly appeared at the door, and took in the scene.

"Valkyrie?" Ghastly asked, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Valkyrie…" Skulduggery warned.

She took a look at Tipstaff, and saw how he squirmed against the wall. Her eyes widened and she released her hold on his shirt. His feet tapped as he regained his footing on the floor. There was fear in his eyes, but he tried to looked like it didn't bother him. His hands reached up, and Valkyrie thought he was going to strike her, but instead, he just smoothed out his collar. It had crumpled from where Valkyrie's hands had held him up.

"Oh god, Tipstaff, I'm sor-" Valkyrie began, but was cut off by Tipstaff clearing his throat.

"Pardon for the disruption, Elder Bespoke, but I am needed elsewhere. Have a good day, and you too Detective Pleasant." he said in his usual formal tone. He didn't even glance at Valkyrie, he just walked off down the corridor.

Everyone just stood there for a second before Ghastly spoke to the crowd that had formed behind them.

"You are all free to continue in your duties."

And at his word the crowd dissipated back into the many nearby rooms, enveloped in a blanket of hushed whispers. Ghastly turned his attention back to Valkyrie, who had turned away from them to face the wall.

"Valkyrie," Ghastly whispered, "If Tipstaff presses charges, you could get jail time for assault on a Sanctuary Agent. That isn't taken lightly."

When she didn't respond, Skulduggery took a step forward. He stood beside Valkyrie and placed a hand on her shoulder. She just tensed up and moved her head so he could see her face.

"Valkyrie, what did he say? What made you so angry?" Skulduggery asked, his voice low and soothing.

She slowly turned on her heels to face him. He firstly noticed how pale she looked, then saw the river of tears that sat in her eyes. They looked like they would overflow at the slightest movement, Her bottom lip tried to quiver but she had in firmly in place as she bit it down.

Skulduggery simply hugged her, and brushed his hand through her hair. He didn't usually do hugs, he kept them for special occasions. Yet, at this moment, it seemed it was the least he could do to comfort her. Valkyrie accepted the hug, and rested her head on his chest. She didn't cry, she just took a deep breath into his jacket before stepping back.

"Val, what's the matter?" Ghastly asked as he came forward.

Valkyrie looked up to him with glassy eyes. He examined her face for a second, then understood why Skulduggery had hugged her. After a moment, she took another deep breath.

"My parents…" she breathed, looking at the floor, "Someone attacked my parents." Her eyes suddenly widened at this statement. "My parents," she repeated, her voice finding a new strength.

Ghastly and Skulduggery glanced over to each and instantly knew why she'd acted with such rage. Valkyrie's family, and the safety of her family, was always a strong subject. Valkyrie didn't want them getting involved, especially with her little sister Alice.

"Alice…" Valkyrie said at last. "Oh my god, Alice!" she almost shouted. Her eyes lifted from the floor and she looked at Skulduggery. "You need to take me home. Now! Please!"

She grabbed his wrist and pulled, making him step once before he stood firmly. She tried to get him to move with a strong pull, and when he didn't move, she looked up to him, her eyes pleading.

"Valk-"

"_Come on!" _she screeched. Ghastly took a step back and looked to Skulduggery who didn't move. Ghastly had never seen Valkyrie like this. He was expecting her to explode.

"Please, this is my family." she whispered, her voice made her sound so defenceless and weak.

"It probably isn't wise Valkyrie," Skulduggery said. But Valkyrie just shook her head and turned to Ghastly.

"Please, please Ghastly. Help me here. Please…" she begged. Ghastly felt a little part of himself did at the sadness in her eyes. He didn't want to hurt her, but then again, he didn't want to betray his friends judgement.

"I'm sorry Valkyrie, but this isn't my call."

"But it is!" she insisted, "You're an Elder!"

"I'm sorry Val."

Skulduggery grabbed her shoulders and pulled her inline with him. "It's best if you stay here for a while and calm down. I don't think you'd want to see them. It might make you more upset" Skulduggery explained.

It looked like Valkyrie was going to argue, but she simply sighed and nodded.

"But I want to know what happened. Tipstaff said China knew, or that she knew that the perimeter had been breached. I want to know how and why. That's all. Please?"

It was Skulduggery's turn to look like he was going to argue, but he just tilted his head.

"I suppose," he said.

…_**...**_

Valkyrie put down the phone with an exaggerated sigh. She'd talked to China about the situation with her family and had just called Skulduggery to get him to pick her up from Gordon's. She should have guessed it was Tanith. It was pretty obvious.. Valkyrie decided to not let Echo-Gordon know, and claimed to be doing research. She usually told him everything. And lying to him felt wrong. She just didn't know how to tell him.

She picked up her jacket and walked to the front door just as he pulled up in the Bentley. When they made eye-to-eye socket contact, she gave a weak smile and waved. Skulduggery's head cocked to his left, to show he was smiling, and Valkyrie made a dash to the door. Once inside, and buckled up, Skulduggery broke the silence.

"So, what did you find out?" he asked.

"Not a great deal." she admitted.

"Every little detail counts." he smiled

"Yeah, I guess," she said, "But I know who it was."

"It was Tanith." Skulduggery beat her too it.

"It wa- wait how do you know that?"

"I've been doing some research of my own. It seems a blonde haired woman was captured and brought in. Probably her reflection to throw the Guards off her tail. But still, we know it was her."

"Humph, well, anyway. China said that when the perimeter was breached, she checked a sigil, which brought up a sort of security camera. She saw Tanith walk in through the back door, and after a few minutes, walk out through the back door. With a little blood on her sword."

"So no serious damage was done. That's good. Maybe she just wanted to get to you."

"Yeah, that's what I thought," she agreed. "Wait, I thought the turning to the Sanctuary was that way?"

"It is, but I thought you might have wanted to see how they are. You won't be able to go in and see them though, okay?"

"Yeah, okay." After a moment of silence she spoke again. "Oh god, Tipstaff won't press charges against me, will he?"

"Already sorted. Ghastly and Ravel had him in for a little chat, and managed to convince him otherwise. Although he did say he expected a full formal apology from you."

"Thank god. Ghastly and Erskine are the best." she mumbled.

"I heard that."

"What about Mist?" she asked quickly.

"She doesn't know." he said after a hesitation

"Oh god. If she finds out. I'm in trouble."

"Indeed," he nodded "You really must learn to curb your anger, young lady." he mock scolded.

"Yeah, yeah" she replied, waving her hand in the air. She stopped abruptly and said "We're here."

They parked at the pier and walked up to the house. She expected to see Guard tape, but was happy to find none surrounding her house. Her and Skulduggery walked around to the back garden and peaked through the kitchen window. Valkyrie's mum and dad were sat on the sofa through the other room. Her mum was crying and her dad had tears in his eyes. Alice was sat at there feet, holding her mums leg. None of them seemed to have sustained any major damage.

The worst was a small slice down her dads cheek.

In her fathers hand was a small framed photograph. Valkyrie couldn't see what the image was, but her family was looking at it with great sadness. Valkyrie was looking at the scene and couldn't pick up the important message. Skulduggery did and he didn't like it. He tapped her on the shoulder, then pulled her away from the window.

"Valkyrie, are you okay?" he asked, slightly concerned.

"Yeah," she replied slowly, "Why wouldn't I be?"

"Your reflection wasn't there."

"It was probably in my room or something." she shrugged.

"Don't you think your family would want to be together after an attack?"

"I, I don't know. Probably."

"Then where is your reflection?"

"What are you getting at?"

"Your family looked like they were mourning, and you weren't there."

"Maybe something happened and I-I didn't want to be with anyone…"

"Maybe that something happened, to you."

"What?"

"I think Tanith killed your reflection in front of your family Valkyrie."

"No. No… No."

"I think they're mourning you."

"No, please no…"

"To them, you're dead Valkyrie..."

**Oh no! I felt bad for setting Tanith up to kill her family, so I did something worse instead. Sorry! I felt like the last bit was rushed but I need to sleep. Please remember to rate and review. It means a lot to me to hear your thoughts and opinions on my story. I'll try to update a little faster, but it's my birthday on the 16****th**** so I might be a little distracted. **

**Cookie, out!**


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